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Case 23 - Complainant told airport would not provide temporary footwear because of health and safety

Issue

The complainant was asked to remove their shoes for security reasons at an airport. When asked if they could provide temporary footwear they were refused because of health and safety. This must present a hygiene issue due to the amount of people passing through airports and travelling from all over the world.

Panel decision

A decision by an airport not to provide temporary footwear should not be blamed on health and safety regulations. There is no health and safety requirement to provide or prohibit temporary footwear at airport security. It would be helpful for airports to explain their reasons for their decisions rather than attributing it to health and safety.